Caravansarais I

Caravansarais, or Khans as they are also called, were the hotels and motels of Renaissance Outremer, located about a days travel apart on the great highways, but spottier on secondary and tertiary roads. Caravansarais followed a basic floor plan, with many embellishments and variations. The bulding was square or rectangular, without windows to the outside. There was a large front gate, double wide, and large enough for a laden camel to come inside. Through the gates was a tunnel leading into a courtyard, with an office for the caretaker/manager inside. In the courtyard, there was almost always a pool, with or without a fountain, where the animals could drink. In the great cities of Outremer, some Caravansarais were domed, to shelter from the weather. A few were works of architectural genius.

Some caravansarais - the smaller kind - were one story, but most were two stories high. all around the interior perimeter of the courtyard was an arcade of arches, with a stall through each arch. In one story caravansarais, humans and animals slept in the stalls, but in those of two or more stories, people stayed in the rooms above the arches, though this was mostly for the merchants. The caravan guards and drovers generally stayed in the stalls with the beasts of burden, to protect and care for the animals. Some of the stalls were occupied with stores, with wares ranging from food and other neccessities to jewelry and silver work. Services ranged from fodder for beasts to baths and entertainment.

To find out what kind of caravanserai you come upon, roll a d20, modified as follows:

• +0 if between cities but on a tertiary road.


• +2 if between cities but on a secondary road


• +4 if between cities but on a primary highway, or in a town.


• +6 if in a small city.


• +8 if in a large city.

1-2 No caravanserai, but a good sheltered campsite, with water - from cisterns in the desert.
3-4 A small, poor caravansarai, single storied, with poor shops and sevice, and overpriced.
5-6 A small, poor caravansarai, single storied, with decent shops and fairly priced, with decent services.
7-8 A small, comfortable caravansarai, single storied, with good shops and services.
9 A small, comfortable caravansarai, two storied, with good shops and services.
10 A sprawling caravansarai, single storied, with many decent shops, good services, and low prices.
11 A pretty but small caravansarai, two storied, with excellent shops and services.
12 A moderately large caravansarai, two storied, with excellent shops and poor services.
13 A moderately large caravansarai, two storied, with poor shops and excellent services.
14 A moderately large caravansarai, two storied, with good shops and good services.
15 A moderately large caravansarai, two storied, with excellent shops and good service.s
16-17 A moderately large caravansarai, two storied, with good shops and excellent services.
18-19 An enormous caravansarai, two storied, with excellent shops and services.
20-26 A huge beautiful caravansarai, two storied, with superb shops and services.
27-28 A huge gem of a caravansarai, three storied and domed, with superb shops and services.

-clash